Starching-machine.



v. G. SMITH & o. 1; SHOEMAKEH. MARCHING MACHINE. lAPPLICATION FILED 0CT.23, I9I6.

1,235,732; PatndAug. 7,1917. 4 SHEETS-SHEET I- V. G. SMITH & 0. J. SHOEM'AKER.

Patented Aug.A 7, 1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

v. @SMITH & 0.1.sH0EMAKER- l STARCHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 23.1916. '1 ,235,732 Patented Augf?, 1917.

4 SHEETS- SHEET 3.

. v. G. SMITH & o. J. SHOEMAKEB,

STARCHING MACHINE. APPucAUoN FILED ocT.23.191s.

Patented Aug. 7, 1917.

4 SHEETS-'SHEET 4,

VOORHEES GILBERT SMITH AND OLIVER JULIAN SHOEMAIIER, OFIOLA, KANSAS.

i STARCHINGr-MACI-IINE.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

vPatented Aug. 7, 1917.

Application led October 23, 1916. Serial No. 127,124.

To all whom 'it may concern B e it known that we, VooRHEEs Gr. SMITH and OLIVER J. SHOEMAKER, citizens of the United States, residing at lola, in the county of Allen and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starching-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements .in starching machines, and refers particularly to what may be termed a rotary shirt starcher.

We are aware that there are numerous devices and machines now in use for accomplishing this purpose, but they are more or less complicated, require more than one attendant and are very costly 'to operate and maintain.

The primary object of our invention is the provision of a starching machine designed to overcome these inherent objections which will comprise few working parts, thereby reducing the first cost of production; which will efficiently operate with only one attendant g, and which will require but little driving power, thereby reducing the operating cost.

Another object of our invention is the provision of a machine of the character stated which will be capable of speedy operation; which will place the starch Vwhere desired on the shirt; and which will prove economical in the use of starch, as the starch is hot and well mixed at all times and can be used down to the last pint in the container. The machines now in use leave from one to two gallons of starch in the container, all of which is wasted. Y

A further object of our invention is the production of a rotary shirt starcher which embodies a new principle, construction and design, all working together to provide an eiiicient and practical machine.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preoise embodiment ofthe invention herein disclosed can `be made without vdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings we have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of our invention constructed according to the best mode We have so far devised for the practical application i Y of the principles of the invention.

Figure 1 represents a front elevation of .our starching machine, the driving belt not being shown and the belt shifting mechamsm being in inoperative position.

F 1g. 2 represents a side elevation of the left .hand side of the machine. v

Fig. 3 represents a top plan view of the stationary or rigid Vpartsof our machine, the hinged frame carrying the driving mechanism and the starching 'rollers being removed and the shelf or table being partly broken away to show more clearly the manner of securing the starch container to the rigid frame. y

Fig. 4: represents a top plan view of the hinged frame carrying the starching rollers and driving mechanism, the guards for the gears not being shown in order to more clearly show the manner of gearing our invention.

Fig. 5 represents a rear elevation of our invention, the hinged frame being thrown back to allow access to the starch container, the idler belt pulley being shown partly in sectionfto show the manner of securing it to the 'rigid frame, and the shelf or platformy being partly in section to illustrate how it is secured to the rigid frame. 7 l Fig. 6 represents a sectional viewtaken on line 6 6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 represents a view partly in section and partly in elevation taken on line 7-.-7 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 represents an enlarged detail view of the main starching roller, said roller being partly in section to clearly illustrate-the 'brace 5, having its outer end '6` secured to the support 7 having its lower end secured 1 to the pedestal Q, by means of fastenings 8, and its upper end carrying the stub shaft 9, carrying the idler pulleylO.

Secured,- O, the upper sidev lof the platform 4 and near its ends, are the supports or brackets 11, for the starch container 12 and the table or shelf 13, having the vertical guard 14 formed thereon. One of the brackets 11, has formed on its inner end the lower portion 15, of the hinged connection for, the frame 16and the other bracket having' the lugs or stops 17, upon which the free end of the hinged frame rests and isfsupported.

The hinged frame 16, consists of one short and two long parallel strips 18, 19 and 19', connected by the long and short parallel strips 2O and 21, at right angles to the strips 18, 19 and 19', the-strip 21, having `formed thereon the upper portion 15, of the hinged connection, and also carrying the supports 21', for the work orfeedingtable 22, and the strip 20, having the bracket 23 secured thereto carrying the latch or dog 24 for lockingthe frame 16, in operative position, -as will be readily seen by reference to Fig. 2.

This frame 16, has journaled thereon in the bearing boxes 25, the main shaft 26, on 'oneend of which is secured the main starching roller 27, and on the other end of which is journaledthe elongated bushing 28. To Ithe outer end of the bushing 28, is keyed the main driving pulley 29, and to the other end vthereof is keyed the small gear 30, which meshes with the larger gear 31, keyed to the counter-shaft 32, journaled in the bearings 32, mounted on the strips 18 and 19.

Also keyed to the counter-shaft 32 is the smaller gear 33, which meshes with the larger gear 34 keyed to the main shaft26. It will be understood that the ratio of the gears of the transmission may be changed without destroying the present efficiency of our invention. l

For rotating the smaller roller 35, which is disposed above the main roller 27, we provide the large gear wheel 36, keyed to the main shaft which drives or rotates the smaller gear wheel 37, fixed to the countershaft 38, which carries the roller 35, on its outer end. The ratio of the gear wheels 36 and 37, is such as to 'drive the rollers 27 and 35, at the same surface speed.

To protect the operatorfrom becoming caught in the gearing, we ,provide the guard 39, securedto the work or feed table'22, and extending over and covering the gears 36 Aand137 V(see Figs. 2 and 5), and the guard 40, for the transmission gears, having one endseeured at 41,'to the intermediate strip 19, and Aits other end secured at 42, to the -strip 20 (see Figs. 1 and 'l The counter-shaft 38, is so supported as to fallow adjustment of the tension between lthe two rollers 27 anc 35, andthis is accomplished in the present embodiment of our invention by novel means hereinafter set forth and described.

The end of the counter-shaft 38, opposite has studs 47, on its sides engaging the verf tically extending slots or guides 48, of the upright or standard 49, mounted on the strip 19.

Theadjustment for the bearing box 46,

consists of the threadedfbolt 50, mounted f in the threaded opening 51, of the standard and engaging the cup or socket 52, formed on the upper side of the plate 53, and between the plate 53 and the bearing box 43, vare the pair of spiral springs 54, retained in proper position by the two pairs of studs or projections 55 and 56, on the plate Aand vbearing box, (see Fig. 9).

The outlet 57, and the valve 58, therefor, is provided to allow the emptying of the starch container, and for keeping thestarch at the proper temperature the starch container is provided with the steam jacket or chest 59, havingthe inlet and outlet pipes and 61, for the steam. For catching the starch when emptying the starch container, the bracket orshelf 62, is provided directly beneath the outlet 57, and upon which any suitable bucket or the like maybe placed (see Fig. 2).

The rollersl 27 and 35, consist of a` drum covered by any suitable fabric 63, which will absorb the starch, secured upon the drum by the split'springrings 64,v which' hold or bind the ends of the fabric against the under side of the drum.

Our invention is further provided with the guard 65, which'is secured tothe shelf or table 13 at'the rear of the large roller to prevent the clothes from falling into the starch container,l and the gage 66, to be used when it is desired to starch on a given line of the clothes only, this allowing'the operator to gage his work.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings, it will be apparent that the operation ofour machine is as follows:-To start the machine the belt shifter 67, is pulled out, which shifts the driving belt 68, from the idler gear 10, to the main driving pulley 29, and thus rotates'thetwo rollers 27; and 35, -at the same surface speed, through the medium of the transmission. The large roller 27, `running through the starch container picks up or absorbs suificientof the starch and conserquently coats the smaller roller 35, with starch.

press the starch through the shirt, the shirt then falls onto the rear part of the shelf 13, where it is collected and taken to the drying room.

Thus it will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which an invention of this character appertains, that our machine is an efiicient and practical machine, being economical in operation, easy to keep clean, as the driving mechanism can be thrown back to allow entrance to the starch container for cleaning, and surpasses the machines now in use as it presses the starch well into the clothes, which allows the easier ironing.

lNe claim l. In a starching machine, the combination with a supporting base having a pedestal rising therefrom, of a platform mounted on the pedestal, brackets secured to the platform, a starch container supported by said brackets,.a frame hinged to said platform, the inner ends of said brackets forming the lower half of the hinged connection between said frame and platform, starching rollers carried by said frame, gearing mounted on the frame for revolving said rollers, and a work shelf secured to said brackets and a feed table mounted on said frame adjacent the rollers.

land revolving in the starch container, bearing boxes mounted in said standards, a counter shaft journaled in the bearings, an auxiliary roller carried thereby and working in conjunction with the main roller, and means for revolving said rollers.

3. In a starching machine, the combination with a suitable support, of a platform fixed thereon, a starch container supported from the platform, a frame hinged to said platform, a shaft journaled in said frame, a main starching roller carried by one end of the shaft and driving means carried by the other end thereof, a pair of standards mounted on said frame, a counter-shaft journaled therein and disposed above the main shaft, an auxiliary roller carried by the counter-shaft and coperating with the main roller, and means on said counter-shaft, whereby, when desired, clothes can be starched on a given line, substantially as described.

4. In a starching machine, the combination with a suitable support and thestarch container supported therefrom, of a frame hinged to said support, standards mounted on said frame, a bearing box pivotally mounted in one of said standards, a bearing box slidably mounted in the other of said standards, a counter-shaft journaled in said bearing boxes, an auxiliary roller carried by said counter-shaft, and a main shaft' Journaled in said support, a main starching roller carried thereby and working with said auxiliary roller, and means fo-r operating said rollers.

5. In a starching machine, the combination with a suitable support, of a platform fixed thereon, a starch container carried by said platform, a frame hinged to said platform, a shaft journaled in said frame, a main starching roller carried thereby and revolving in the starch container, a pair of standards mounted on said frame, guide slots in one of said standards, a bearing box carried by said standard, studs formed on said bearing and engaging said guide slots, a second bearing box pivotally supported in thel other of said standards, a counter-shaft journaled in said bearing boxes, 'an auxil* iary roller carried by said shaft and operating in conjunction with the main roller, and means for revolving said rollers.

6. In a starching machine, the combination with a suitable support, of a platform fixed thereon and carrying a starch container, a frame having one end hinged to the platform and its other end free, locking means for the free end of said frame, bearings mounted on said frame, a main shaft roller carried by one end of said shaft and revolving in said starch container, driving means for said roller carried by the other end of said shaft, a pair of standards mounted on the frame, a bearing box pivotally mounted in one of said standards, a bearing box slidably mounted in the other of said standards, a counter shaft journaled in said bearings, spring means engaging said slidable bearing, an auxiliary roller carried by said counter-shaft and cooperating with the main roller, gearing connections between the two shafts, and driving means for the main shaft, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we afIix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

VOORHEES GILBERT SMITH. OLIVER JULIAN SHOEMAKER. Witnesses:

W. J. ANDERSON, L. C. BEATTY.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of VPatents, Washington, ID. C.

Journaled in said bearings, a starchingv 

